Edged with Glass
by Nerikla
Summary: It was hate, yes, but a curious sort. She had agreed - even though it hurt her, even though she knew it was wrong. It was powerlust, and she watched him succumb...she wanted to stop, but the reward was too great and the pull was too strong.


"Professor Snape, do I _have_ to work with Granger? She'll break the looking glass," Draco Malfoy whined, looking askance at his detested Gryffindor Potions partner. The brown-haired girl glared at him, fighting back a reply. Their Professor was standing right beside her, waiting hopefully for the opportunity to deduct points from Gryffindor. 

  


_just ignore him_

  


"I'm sorry, Draco. Just this once," Snape said in such an apologetic tone that Hermione stared, "come to me for another mirror when she breaks this one."

A nasal giggle resounded from behind them. Pansy, Hermione knew without looking.

"Yes, sir!" Draco crowed, his gray eyes bright with suppressed laughter. Out of the corner of her brown eyes, Hermione could see Dean Thomas fighting to keep a firm grip on Ron, who looked positively murderous. Whenever the red-haired boy grew angry, his face turned exactly the color of a freshly sliced raddish.

  


_they aren't worth it none of them are worth it you're smarter and braver than the load of them combined_

  


Malfoy smirked nastily, his long-fingered hands plucking a single centaur hair from a jar. He cut it into thirds, and dropped each piece individually into their sizzling potion. "Too bad we couldn't use this Disappearing Potion on your zits, Granger. Then maybe I'd be able to see the board instead of the huge red mounds on your face-"

"If you worked as much as you talked, Malfoy, maybe you'd be Head Boy," Hermione replied laceratingly, her dark eyes intent on the Babble Browns she was cutting into carefully measured pieces. 

  


_that's it show him who has the upper hand hit him where it hurts hurt him where you can_

  


Draco had not been assigned the position of Head Boy, a fact that still smarted in his proud mind. Instead, Ernie McMillan, a forceful, silly boy had been awarded the position. Hermione had made it no secret that she was relieved - working closely with Malfoy gave her headaches and, at the worst, bloody noses.

They worked in brooding silence, casting dark glances at each other.

  


_he could be so handsome if only he smiled but he doesn't and he's Malfoy so he can't be handsome he can only be a troll a big nasty troll a big ugly troll_

The calculations were difficult, and even more tricky when one worked without consulting one's partner. The magic mirror they used was wily and foggy, with several scratches. The classroom was rather silent but for the whispering Neville made under his breath as he scratched down a particularly difficult part of the assignment. Hermione could pick out the grumbling noise of Ron's low voice.

She felt his eyes on her at times, but she feigned disinterest and pretended not to notice.

  


_he can't hurt you no one can you're strong stronger than him and the rest of them you're a Gryffindor you're the bloody smartest one in the class_

  


"And your time is up! Bring your Potions to the front so that I may test them and grade accordingly," Snape requested, sneering.

Hermione wondered exactly how her Professor was going to manage to deduct points from her Potion while keeping Malfoy's precious grade high. Malfoy possessively picked up the Potion and brought it to the front of the classroom, moving carefully so as not to spill a drop. She trailed behind him.

  


_sometimes_ _I think I hate him he won't even look at me not even at lunch he never does it's because I'm ugly and my hair is too frizzy and I'm too fat I'm hideous_

  


"Well, well," Professor Snape said snidely, giving the simpering Draco an approving smile after he had finished glaring at Hermione. "This looks to be in order. Here, Draco, drop this in for me." He handed the Slytherin boy a glass globe. Draco carefully held his hand over the center potion and dropped the globe so that the liquid wouldn't splash.

The clear globe sank to the bottom of the cauldron right away. After the cauldron emitted a loud crackling noise and a puff of purple smoke, Snape nodded curtly. "Good," He said softly, arching an approving eyebrow at Draco. He ignored Hermione completely and ushered the two on, not wanting to hold up the line of nervous students awaiting their judgement. 

_oh I knew it I knew I was smart and this proves it I'm smarter than Malfoy I'm the smartest one of all of them_

  


Draco looked vaguely disappointed that the Potions professor hadn't made fun of Hermione, but it would happen soon enough. The two returned to their desk, watching Snape cruelly insult Neville's careful handiwork, The Professor was completely dismissive of the fine lilac color of the potion.

Hermione pressed her lips together and looked away.

  


_a hand sliding up her thigh to just where her skirt ended a whisper that tickled her ear and the sudden darkness a darkness so intense it blocked out everything there was only the black and her and suddenly she was the black oh this was so complicated and it hurt and she wanted to be white again but something had changed and_

"Pack up your quill, Granger. It's too close to my things."

  


_now she couldn't go back she knew it she was gray and slowly going black and he knew it and there was no way to say no this time they had to she had promised and a promise made was a promise kept and_

"Did you hear me, Grungy Granger? It's too close to my things, it's making them filthy."

  


_why did they have to pretend some days she wished she could tell the world but she had promised him and he had said it would make her strong in only ways that he could understand_

  


"Get it _off_, you stupid Mudblood!"

Hermione looked evenly at Draco. "Don't call me that, you foul-mouthed prat!"

"Mudblood mudblood, your quill is soiling my things. Remove it at once!"

She reached out fluidly and seized her quill, her brown eyes dark. Her face was set, her eyebrows drawn together. Her proud shoulders and stern chin indicated she was pretending not to have heard the insult. That irritated Draco to no end.

  


_how_ _could no one know they were all so stupid even if he was strong and so was she and no one would ever guess it was simply too impossible_

  


"When will you learn, Malfoy?" She asked softly, almost sadly, turning her face away from him.

Draco looked dumbly at her. "What?"

"So much potential," Hermione pronounced quietly, her words oddly flowery and her position stiff, "so much wasted."

_had she wasted herself too it was impossible to tell now she had to wait and in time they would find out if the legend was true _

  


Draco stared.

_and then if it was right why was it always in secret when they met why was it so quiet he needed her strength and she needed his but it was a dark practice a dirty practice_

  


Hermione's stern look wavered slightly to one of uncertainty. Ron passed by as Dean staggered under the weight of their cauldron, and he gave her a sympathetic look. "Malfoy's a prat!" He whispered to her with a shadow of a smile.

_it had hurt so much at first but now it was simple it was just another power that she possessed a potent one a frighteningly strong one_

  


"I know," The brown-haired girl sighed, giving her friend a look that told him she'd rather be anywhere else. Harry's potion was being tested - she looked up just in time to see Snape ranting about how all of Harry's potions were inferior.

__

__

it was a thing done she could never go back

_ but God did it hurt, was it supposed to hurt? Was it supposed to feel like that_

_sometimes she had to fight back the screams that welled up in her throat_

_ it would make her strong, he said, and help their cause, the cause of the Good_

but would the Bad make her hurt so much? She didn't know

_and she was afraid, dear God she was afraid_

_ sometimes she cried at night, and the others girl wondered_

_she wanted to stop now but something made her return to him _

_ and his hand would creep up her leg, slowly, like a spider_

with the soft white hairs, like those on a baby's head

  
  


"Class, you are dismissed for the day. Ten points from Gryffindor for that glare, Finnigan - don't think I missed it. For homework I expect a two foot long essay on the benefits of using magical mirrors to effect the solvents of a liquid-based potion-" Professor Snape drawled with a snide smile.

Hermione hurried to write everything down. Scratching quills were the only sounds to be heard aside from Snape's slimy voice.

She hated him so much it hurt. And even though she knew that he was on their side, the side of Good, she still didn't trust him.

  


_it was okay and she had to go tonight_

_ it pulled at her, it plucked at her senses_

_come to me...come to me tonight..._

_ she wanted to struggle but that just made it harder. It wasn't worth it_

_ even as his hand touched her, unbuttoning her school blouse_

_ sometimes she cried while they bonded_

_he didn't like that_

_ but tonight was different...he held her close and whispered sweet things in her ears_

_her curls of soft brown falling against the white, white color of her blouse_

_ he needed her and she felt the passion, she arched her back saying_

"Oh, Professor...oh, Dumbledore..."

  


- - - 

fine.

  
  



End file.
